Put The Past Away
by Fuji Yuuta-kun
Summary: All the warning signs had been apparent. So why did it take an almost stranger to stop him from jumping?   Super Rising Pair


All I can do lately is just sit and write random super rising pair fics. Haha. So here we go, yet another one shot. I'm working on another super rising pair fic and then I'm back to working on some of my current projects, I swear!

Summary: All the warning signs had been apparent. So why did it take an almost stranger to stop him from jumping? [Super Rising Pair]

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. I don't own Fuji Yuuta or Echizen Ryoma, if I did they would be an actual pairing in the series. I don't own the opening song, it's from the song "Jumper" which belongs to Third Eye Blind.

-O-

_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend_

_You could cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in_

He was so frustrated, so fed up. It was a full moon out as he leaned against the side of the bridge. He glanced at the water, sighing. He could make out his reflection in the light of the nearby lamp post. All he saw was a failure, and it bothered him. It always had and always would. He had tried to talk to the upperclassmen, but they just gave him useless advice. None had said anything that he could take to heart.

"Stupid senpai-tachi." He muttered, swallowing hard. He had promised himself that he wasn't going to cry. He just quietly tugged out his phone. It was nine-thirty, so he wondered if anyone was actually missing him. He doubted it. He just tucked the phone back into his pockets.

"It's now or never." He took a deep breath before he climbed onto the railing. He was actually nervous, but he had already decided on doing this.

"What are you doing, Yuuta-senpai?" The voice startled him and almost made him fall. He turned around to see the familiar sight of the Seishun first year starter standing there. The first year was sipping on a can of ponta, his tennis bag slung over a shoulder.

"What does it look like I'm about to do?" Before Yuuta knew what was happening, Ryoma had tugged him off the railing.

"Taking a walk with me. That's what it looks like." And that was how he ended up just walking alongside the first year. He had been watching the first year since their match. He had a fascination in the boy who easily overcame him. But it was weird, he sometimes felt like Ryoma was around when he took his weekend trips away from St Rudolph. It was actually weird that someone he knew would even be at that bridge to stop him.

"What were you doing out here?" Yuuta broke the silence, glancing down to notice that Ryoma had yet to let go of his hand. Was the other afraid he would go running off to jump off that bridge? Probably best anyway. But Yuuta just wanted to clutch the other's hand tightly and confess that he had actually been afraid while standing atop the railing.

"Hm?" Ryoma glanced up at the second year. "Stopping you from jumping." He sipped his drink. "Life would be boring without Yuuta-senpai around." The words caused the St Rudolph regular to blink. The confusion was noticed by Ryoma. "You come watch me, senpai. I notice all the time. At first I thought you were there because of your brother, but you never watch him. It's always me." Yuuta honestly didn't want to be having this talk. It was tempting him to go back to being afraid atop that railing. "But when I realized that I wanted to know what you say, I would find myself trying to find you when you were home on weekends. When you would go to matches, I would watch to see if I could understand what you saw when you watched me." Yuuta listened as Ryoma spoke.

"Watching you...is like watching an artist paint." Yuuta spoke, startling the first year. "I only have passion in tennis. But my brother... it's just something he could excel in, not me. But watching you... I could see passion and excellence combine into something that was...breathtaking." He couldn't come up with any other word.

"Hmmm... So that's it?" Ryoma thought about it. "I like Yuuta-senpai's passion for tennis more than Fuji-senpai's talent. Yuuta-senpai always looks like he's having more fun." Yuuta paused in step, causing Ryoma to stop. The first year glanced up at the elder brother, confused as to why he stopped walking. But Yuuta was stuck in thought. He had forgotten about being in love with tennis and why he had started in the first place. He had forgotten that he played tennis just to play and have fun. His vendetta against his brother and horrible losses loomed over him and created this blindfold that wouldn't allow him to see that love for tennis. It had just about made him forget why he had picked up a racquet in the first place. "If you would have jumped... I never would have gotten to see Yuuta-senpai enjoy more tennis matches."

"Ryoma?" The St Rudolph regular glanced at the younger Seishun student.

"Ne, Yuuta-senpai. We need to play another match. Until then, you're not allowed to jump." Ryoma released the second year's hand to watch him. He then held up his pinky, wanting a promise. Yuuta blinked before he locked pinkies with the other.

"Alright, Ryoma. It's a promise." He didn't know why, but he just couldn't say no. It was probably because he admired the younger boy. Maybe it was because he had recently come to realize that he faintly liked the boy he had never really had a conversation with before.

"Good. Because if Yuuta-senpai jumped, we'd never get to go on a date." Ryoma had gone back to drinking his ponta and dragging the second year along for a walk.

"What? Date?" Ryoma just nodded at the words. Yuuta ruffled his hair. This had been a strange encounter.

"Yes. You wouldn't want to abandon your boyfriend without a word, now would you?" Ryoma glanced up at the utterly confused Yuuta, a faint smile on his lips. "Of course, that's only if Yuuta-senpai wants to be a couple." Yuuta's cheeks tinted pink as he glanced away. It was only then that the houses were looking familiar for some reason.

"I'd like that, Ryoma." Ryoma smiled brightly as he stopped walking. Yuuta also came to a halt.

"Then we have to say goodnight for now, Yuuta-senpai. But we should go on a date next weekend, not to a bridge." The first year leaned up and kissed the second year briefly. "Feel free to steal my number from Fuji-senpai. I'd love to be able to talk to Yuuta-senpai over the week." Yuuta could only nod. He was a little stunned. "Goodnight, senpai."

"Goodnight, Ryoma." The said boy smiled and waved a little before walking off. Yuuta turned, realizing he was outside his house. He shuffled up the stairs and into the house.

"Tadaima." He muttered as he slipped out of his shoes. He was tired and trying to sort out what just happened.

"Okaeri," Fuji's voice was heard as the boy appeared.

"I need Ryoma's number, Aniki." The elder brother blinked at the request but retreated back into the kitchen to write it down on a piece of paper.

"Here. What do you need it for?" Yuuta took the number and clutched it in his hand.

"So I can thank him for saving me." Fuji was so confused as he watched his younger brother head off to his room.

Yuuta rested on his bed as he flipped open his cell phone. He plugged in Ryoma's number before sending the younger male a message before falling asleep.

_I've always spent my life in someone else's shadow. I was constantly in pain due to forgetting about all the things that had filled up my heart._ _Thank you for finding me, Ryoma, for giving me a hand to hold. Thank you for reminding me of what I love most in life. I look forward to tomorrow, when I can smile and say I'm happy again. Thank you._

-X-

Haha, crappy ending is crappy. But I needed some sort of closing as an ending and this just kinda worked. Whelp, back to trying to finish that next chapter of Of Princes and Princesses.


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